Maybe in a galaxy far, far away, fans are celebrating like Wookies on Life Day the changes George Lucas has made to his Star Wars saga, but not in this one.

The rampant success of the original trilogy and new advances in technology have allowed Lucas to continually tweak (or, as some see it, drastically doctor) scenes in re-releases. In the name of smoothing the continuity of the saga, Lucas has upset dedicated followers who feel the changes to the intergalactic opus have diminished its value.

Following the release of the 2004 DVD box set, Lucas told the Associated Press that the original films were only "25 or 30 percent" of what he wanted them to be. In regard to the outcry over his changes, Lucas was unrepentant. "This is the movie I wanted it to be, and I'm sorry you saw half a completed film and fell in love with it," he said. "But I want it to be the way I want it to be." That doesn't mean Lucas doesn't sometimes side with the fanboys. He's been spotted wearing a t-shirt with their battle cry: "Han Shot First."

Today, the Blu-ray box set of Star Wars: The Complete Sagahits stores. The nine-disc set ($79.99) includes the six films and three additional discs of never-before-seen special features like deleted and alternate scenes. Not surprisingly, it also comes with more production changes that might reduce lightsaber battles to heated thumb wars.

PCMag has rounded up the top ten most controversial changes made to Star Wars films. But, as Lucas said, "The thing about science-fiction fans and Star Wars fans is they're very independent-thinking people. They all think outside the box, but they all have very strong ideas about what should happen, and they think it should be their way." So please, leave your "strong ideas" in the comments section below.

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10. Ewok Closes its Eyes...and Then Opens Them

Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the JediThere it is! Did you see it? There! It did it again! If their hollow, glassy stares scared you as a child, you can sleep soundly now because Ewoks can finally blink in the latest Blu-ray release. Adding virtually nothing to the film, Lucas’ tinkering may have been solely to annoy Star Wars conservatives.

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9. The Dramatic Destruction of the Death Star

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
In the original scene, the momentous destruction of the Death Star must have seemed underwhelming to Lucas. To add gravity to the situation, in the 1997 Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition, he applied a Praxis halo to the explosion of the space station, an effect pioneered in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. The scientific phenomenon causes a band of matter to shoot outward from a large, exploding object. Many fans, unimpressed by the addition, claim it’s technically unjustifiable. Not to mention, the ring is on the wrong axis.

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8. Obi-Wan's Krayt Dragon Call

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
Tusken Raiders make their debut in the Jundland Wastes of Tatooine when a pack of them attack Luke Skywalker. As they prepare to carry away his unconscious body, Obi-Wan Kenobi mimics a krayt dragon call to scare off the Sand People. Originally, his diversion sounded similar to the cry of a dewback, but the new Blu-ray wail is more reminiscent of a pubescent boy’s voice crack.

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7. Lightsaber Lumination Gets Dull

Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
Digital restoration pro John D. Lowry took the 2004 box set into his hands, digitally restoring and visually enhancing the film. Unfortunately, the treatment left the lightsabers confused, as their coloration varied throughout the trilogy. In the early theatrical release, when Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader cross swords before Emperor Palpatine, their blades glowed a dense white with red and green tints. After the remastering, the intense vibrancy vanished and Vader’s saber appeared a girlish pink. Thankfully, Blu-ray alterations seem to have settled the color war once and for all.

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6. The Max Rebo Band Sells Out

Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
The Max Rebo Band rocked out in Jabba’s palace to the tune of "Lapti Nek" ("Work it Out"), a Huttese pop song. The group consisted of Max Rebo on the keys, woodwind player Droopy McCool, and leggy lead-singer Sy Snootles, who was manipulated by puppeteers. But for the 1997 Special Edition re-release, the trio was joined by several backup dancers and Sy Snootles shimmied with CGI. The set list included the more contemporary "Jedi Rocks," which led some fans to deem the scene unwatchable.

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5. Yoda Meets CGI

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
Yoda has always been one of the strangest-looking creatures in the cast, but it was his cranky voice and peculiar puppet face that made him so endearing to fans. In Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, the Jedi master was rendered with computer animation, which allowed him to appear in ways previously inconceivable. In this latest format release, as is often the case in Star Wars, we suffer yet another puppet casualty. A completely computer-generated Yoda bestows wisdom on young Anakin—a blasphemous transformation according to many fans.

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4. Ewok Celebration Goes Galactic

Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
In the 1997 Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition release, "Yub Nub," a sprightly Ewokese song, is superseded by "Victory Celebration," John Williams' orchestral composition, as the Rebels celebrate the defeat of the Empire. Focus drifts from the Rebels and their new Ewok allies to intergalactic celebrations, which emphasizes the immense impact of the fallen Empire. While some find the altered ending to be retrospective, others are appalled by it.

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3. Shaw’s Spirit Disappears

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
The spirits of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and Anakin Skywalker float in to observe Luke and the Rebels rejoice in their victory over the Empire. In early versions, actor Sebastian Shaw appears as a translucent Anakin. Again, Lucas catches the audience off-guard with a radical revision in the 2004 DVD scene—Shaw has been swapped out for a glowering Hayden Christensen. Some will argue that Anakin died when he became Darth Vader, thus it’s natural for him to reappear as a young man. While it ties nicely to the prequels, opponents hold that, in killing the Emperor, Anakin was redeemed and returned to the light side of the Force.

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2. Darth Vader Says “Noooo”

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
In a climactic scene, Darth Vader sacrifices himself to save his son, Luke. Since the beginning, the Dark Lord has looked on in dramatic silence, but in the Blu-ray release, he lets out a drawn-out "Nooooo!" meant to parallel the ending of Revenge of the Sith. (That same sound may have been heard when the audio addition was confirmed.) Fans feel the unnecessary dialogue mocks the moment from the prequel and spoon-feeds the audience Vader’s emotions. While the audio might be inappropriate in the film, facetious fans find the soundtrack handy in dire situations.

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1. Greedo Shot First

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
Perhaps Lucas’ most controversial change takes place at the Mos Eisley Cantina. Greedo has come to seize Han Solo, who owes money to crime lord Jabba the Hutt. During an ominous conversation, Greedo says, "I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time." In the 1977 original, Han, fiddling with his blaster beneath the table, replies "Yes, I’ll bet you have," and fires a fatal shot at Greedo. For the 1997 re-release, Greedo takes the first shot, an act which alters the nature of Han’s ambiguous morals. The disputed scene is altered again for the 2004 DVD release, and it appears that Han and Greedo fire simultaneously.

About the Author

Meredith Popolo joined the staff shortly after graduating from snowy Syracuse University, where she earned degrees in magazine journalism and entrepreneurship. So far, the highlight of her PCMag career has been covering the Mars Curiosity rover landing from NASA's JPL in Pasadena, California. When she's not writing about tech, tweeting about Syracu... See Full Bio

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